5 basic tips for organizing your office

An organized office is a profitable office. Filing and organizing reduces wasted time hunting for essential tools and wasted time equals wasted money.

Organizing an office requires self-discipline, a vision for categorizing information specific items, and the courage to throw away pieces of paper or magazines that aren’t going to be read anymore or haven’t been read in months.

Here are some tips:

#1 The files accessed most frequently should be the ones closest to the desktop and given priority on being kept up to date.

#2 Toss out excess information. Make it easier by reminding yourself that most magazine articles or newsletter articles you might want to keep are found online or in the library. A really good article that sits buried under piles of paper may be well written and contain useful information, but how much good is it doing you?

#3 Set aside one hour per week to read outside of normal work assignments. Skim through articles and either file them right away or toss them.

#4 Ask for help – this may be difficult to ask a colleague. For the home office, the cost of hiring some one to come in help may be an expense that pays off in the long run.

#5 Archive old files and projects. Put them in a box, label them and take them out of an active file drawer.

While there may be many other tips for a productive office, these five are basic and easy to follow on a regular basis.

To stay on top of clutter, consider having a professional organizer stop in the office on a once-a-month basis to help you run your business more smoothly and profitably.

Learn more at the National Association of Professional Organizers. http://www.napo.net